Why do yoga teacher training if you don’t want to teach?

Why do yoga teacher training?

Yoga has been a constant in my life since I was 16. Alongside snowboarding, it comes an equal first as my longest relationship – 18 years and counting! Without yoga in my life, I’m certain I’d have more injuries.

The reality is my personal journey with yoga only scratches the surface of what this ancient practice offers. My experience to date has been very focused on the postures or asana. However there is so much more to yoga, its philosophy, its rich history and accompanying lifestyle that an active, aware, and already dedicated yogi like myself would greatly benefit from. So at 34, with both a curious mind and time to commit to my own growth, I signed up with the Shri Gaia Institute to do my 200-hour yoga teacher training in Canggu, Bali – at the beautiful Ecosfera hotel on Eco Beach.

The yoga 200-hour teacher training is an intensive format: a 4 week-long course of physical yoga asana, philosophy, theory, methodology, introspection, journaling, teaching and workshops. With the Shri Gaia Institute yoga teacher training, it is actually more like a 300-hour course as they deliver well over-and-above the 200-hour content and curriculum. The course is incredibly rich and value-packed, but definitely more intense than other 200 hours teacher training (TT). I dived straight in.

Finding the right teacher is so important. Tanya Popovich is World-Class & the most beautiful soul with unparalleled knowledge from teachers all over the world.Photo by Alexa Hohenberg for Swaha Yoga Center

In anticipation of the course, I asked my friends who have done it what to expect and if they could offer any advice. Answers varied, but all insisted that it changed their life in some way:

It’s really interesting to learn more than just the physical side of yoga. All TTs are different but they can be quite spiritually transformational.

I really got to understand how my body worked and it took yoga to a whole new level for the mind and soul!

What you get out of it depends on your intentions as much as anything else. Yoga can be transformative if you allow it to be. Knowing you I would say you will find it difficult to surrender in certain moments and be vulnerable. Saying that it’s quite likely you will get a calmer mindset, higher ability to deal with stress and more presence to both yourself and your surroundings with continued practice. Do it!

Definitely well worth the investment in yourself… It will teach you a lot about yourself and the practice, which is meant to be a lifetime practice, not just a once in a while. It’s a way of life not a series of poses and exercises. DO IT!

Morning yoga practice.Photo by Alexa Hohenberg for Swaha Yoga Center

Reasons I did my 200-hour yoga teacher training

My main motivation for doing the 200 yoga teacher training course was to deepen my own practice and understand a bit more of the WHY behind the physical and mental side of yoga. But also because in my life at that point, I was at a crossroads:

Uninspired to return to my career in advertising and the mundane, stressful life in a big city

Emotionally broken from living with my ex-boyfriend over winter and going through all the pain that that entailed

Finding it increasingly hard to open up and love after being hurt repeatedly in relationships

Telling myself repeatedly that I ‘wasn’t good enough’

Becoming detached from my family in some respect, with guilt that I couldn’t put my finger on, eating me up on the inside

With no clear goals, direction, or enthusiasm for my future direction

I didn’t know who I was anymore but I had strong feeling that I was destined for a change of some sort

Many people do their yoga teacher training because they are looking for answers and change. It turned out that I was no different. One student said it perfectly on day one, he wanted a “Reset”. Others had a clear goal of becoming a teacher. Some were there in the hope that yoga could cure their chronic pain. No matter what the primary motivation to sign up, we were all looking for a transformation of some sort.

The 4-week journey

Saying it is a journey is the best way to describe it. And what you put in, is what you get out.

As my good friend Jack said to me when I asked if I should do the course, I would find it hard to be vulnerable. He was right. Here we were in front of 30 strangers, asked to dance around the room (no, I’m not drunk yet), or share a deeply personal story about ourselves (no, I’m scared what they will think). But these were the most beautiful moments and throughout them, I became increasingly aware of my aversion to being vulnerable in front of strangers, maybe even my close friends.

At 34 and being somewhat stuck in my ways, I also found the discipline required to attend all aspects of the course, challenging. The daily structure did not allow for much free time. I like to surf, mostly alone. I find that large groups of people drain my energy. At times I withdrew myself. I was staying away from the retreat center, which was equally a blessing as it was like a retreat from the retreat. But If I was staying on-site I’m sure I would have been more involved: more yoga study, more yoga discussion, probably a deeper experience, and relationships. I became aware of how I was rebelling against the discipline. I thought about where else in my life do I do this.

Study time.Photo by Alexa Hohenberg for Swaha Yoga Center

Unlike some of the other students who found themselves with unexplained heavy hearts and bursting into tears during week 2, I didn’t have these transformative experiences so early. A part of me was so eager for this, as that’s why we were all there, right? I too wanted some revelation on my life purpose.

This finally came on the second Sunday break (we had one day off a week), when I finally got to spend some time alone. So much guilt came up and I too started to cry. It was in the stillness and most unexpected moments that these small realisations happened for me. Later in weeks 3 and 4, this repeated after meditation when I got to sit alone with my pen and paper, or out in the surf when I found stillness to reflect.

An evening of music from Bhakti Yogis, Lulu & Mischka

The start of week 4 started in tragedy for me. During 6pm methodology, my phone wouldn’t stop beeping. Friends in Australia were desperately trying to get information from Bali, as a broken surfboard was washed up on the cliffs at Uluwatu during the early surf. The board belonged to a good friend of many friends from back home, and someone that touched my heart on many occasions.

It was getting dark and Jae was still missing. He had paddled out in 12ft Uluwatu alone on a small board and never came back. 2 hours after the first phone call that had me panicked and calling everyone I knew in Uluwatu, his body was found washed by the currents to Impossibles. Despite two amazing Hawaiians trying to resuscitate him in the surf, the waves took him and he drowned.

For Jae Haydon – Here’s looking at you kid ♡

Jae’s passing hit me hard. He lived a very similar life to me, traveling the world snowboarding and surfing and living off his other passion, playing music. Lessons about the futility of time, the strength of love from family and friends, and the wonderful community I am part of in snowboarding and surfing arose in me. I felt overwhelming gratitude for all of my blessings that I had been taking for granted. The next day I went to Uluwatu to honor him and everything he was by offering flowers to the crashing waves at Uluwatu’s cliffs. As the beautiful Hawaiian that tried to save him said to me when we spoke, “rest in positivity Jae”. It was so joyous to hear that he caught a huge sick wave in the set just before.

What an incredible community of like-minded people. Photo by Alexa Hohenberg for Swaha Yoga Center

The teacher appears when the student is ready

Everything you are taught on your 200-hour yoga teacher training is a toolbox for you to take what you want from. Whether that is tools for you to understand yourself better. To teach. Or tools to live your life in a more meaningful a connected way.

So why do your yoga teacher training?

If you are reading this, I’ll hazard a guess that you’re looking for a nudge in another direction of this thing called life. My advice to you is, if you can spare the time (and what is a month of your life in the grand scheme of things?), there will be no time better spent then learning about yourself, who you have become and what direction you want to take in a world of infinite opportunities. If you are open and willing to listen, observe, trust, be vulnerable, share and support you will be deeply moved by a yoga teacher training. Change is the by-product of a wonderful life-changing experience with like-minded people that are at a similar stage in their life to you.

Quite simply, yoga teacher training will transform your life, giving you a nudge in a new direction. If you want to teach & share this with others than that is a bonus. First, do it for yourself.

This is my advice. But don’t take my word for it. This is what my fellow students said:

It’s a journey just with yourself. You will have finally time to think and work on your body and mind. It is amazing!

– Anna Polakowska, Poland

You will gain knowledge from a different perspective of life in a community of truthfulness, supportive and likeminded people.

– Ashley, England

The Swaha 200 hour YTT course is for anyone looking to know more about themselves. Both how our bodies work and move, as well as how we fit into this complex, fascinating, challenging and beautiful experience called life. For myself personally, it’s a combination of a much needed ‘re-start’ or ‘re-boot’, a systematic self-work process that points inward for answers, and allows the opportunity to commit to a regular practice concerning the mind, body and spirit. By positively commencing a new cycle with a fresh internal and external outlook on life, I feel a stronger connection to my self and the world as a whole. The course has been a simple but challenging and ultimately powerful investment in my own journey that I will (as a qualified facilitator) be sharing with others through the philosophy and joy of movement that is modern Yoga.

– Giles aka Gino Zego, Australia

Bali. What a special place to that this journey.Photo by Alexa Hohenberg for Swaha Yoga Center

If you are interested in doing your 200-hour yoga teacher training, I can’t recommend Tanya Popovich at the Shri Gaia Institute enough. Her knowledge, achieved from studying all over the world with a vast variety of teachers was absolutely astounding. While it is intense clocking up almost 300 hours in the 4 weeks, you greatly benefit from diving deeper into all aspects of yoga. Tanya is unlike no other yoga teacher I have ever met. She is exceptional.

Thank you to everyone who made this experience so incredible.

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4 Comments

thank you for sharing your personal journey, hopes-outcomes and all. I did my first training 4 years ago and my favorite lesson for self and to teach is – how you practice on our mat is how you live your life… the same tendencies show up. One thing you mentioned jumped off the page for me, “How the character traits of others that annoy me are actually a mirror to myself and my own character traits”. I definitely didn’t learn this and would like to understand this more deeply. Sometimes my judgements of others that annoy me….bother me. I take a step back and ask myself what was wrong with me to think or feel that way. But the way you wrote this has the mirror reflecting back to me…so interesting!!!!! And as bob Marley says, “judge not before you judge yourself. ?? Namaste sister.

Hey Crystal!
Thanks for reading this article – I’m stoked it had you thinking. The reflection of others character traits on yourself was actually something my teacher pointed out to me: That other’s often reflect our own evolution. It was really cool to become aware of this and work through it. Now when I am quick to react (not so much judge), I mirror it back on myself and can often see myself in those (annoying) behaviors. It was a really valuable lesson for me.
Much love gurl xxx

Sorry to hear about your friend’s passing.
It’s so good to hear a yoga teacher training story but with no intention of teaching. Although I reckon you may find yourself in situations where you’ll be coaxed to :)
Lovely blog post!
Thank you.
Nanaco

Hey Nanaco, thank you for your kind words. My interest in teaching definitely did increase as I did the course. I’m looking forward to sharing what I learned informally with friends. Who knows what will come after that :-) Good luck with your own journey and thank you for reading Still Stoked x